Education and Household Energy Choices in Uganda: Does Schooling Drive the Shift from Biomass to Grid Electricity or Solar?

Uganda’s energy transition remains constrained by heavy reliance on biomass, despite national targets of universal access to modern energy sources by 2040. This study therefore investigates whether education of the household head has any influence on the decision by the household to shift from biomass to modern energy sources -grid electricity and solar, and whether these options respond differently. Using microdata from 1,142 households in the 2023/24 Uganda National Household Survey, we estimate a multinomial probit model, complemented by a multinomial logit as a robustness check. Results show that, relative to households headed by individuals with no schooling, secondary and post secondary education increase the probability of electricity adoption by 19 and 22 percentage points respectively, while reducing biomass reliance by 11 points. In contrast, these education levels lower the probability of solar use by 8 –12 points, suggesting a substitution towards grid electricity. Income, urban residence, and mobile money access further reinforce electricity adoption. These findings highlight education as a critical driver of Uganda’s energy transition process, but one that channels demand toward the grid rather than solar energy source. Therefore, pairing schooling or clean energy campaigns/ literacy with affordable grid connections and targeted financing household instruments is essential to accelerate the shift from biomass to modern energy by households.